


My Favourite Daydream

by Tsume_Yuki



Series: This Dream's On Me [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Especially her dwarf, F/M, Female Harry Potter, Fíli and Kíli Brotherly Love, Harry can't handle others being in danger, Kíli king of the pep talk, Meeting in dreams, They'll eventually meet in real life, Thorin's going to have a heart attack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-30
Updated: 2015-01-05
Packaged: 2018-03-05 13:21:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3121709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsume_Yuki/pseuds/Tsume_Yuki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fili's been meeting the beautiful Harry Potter in his dreams for many months now. But this is the first time the dream-world has focused on his world. Is something changing? After all, the only thing of significance he's done is join a quest after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of a series? Read the others or they'll not make sense I'm afraid.

"So what is it?" Raising his hand, and thus, the fist in which a thin silver chain was hung, Fili twisted the necklace back and forth, looking at the little gem that was hanging from the centre. It looked a lot like one of the very small herbs that grew in any patch of grass that they could get a foot-hold in. A clover? Yeah, the sounded about right. A clover. One with four leaves. Only, it seemed to have been preserved somehow. The edges of the leaves also appeared to have been dipped in liquid silver.

It looked strange, but not in a bad way.

It'd been well over a year since Fili started meeting a warrior witch in his dreams. A beautiful one. In fact, come summer, two years would have gone by.

It was startling, to know he'd been friends with Harry for such a length of time. It'd been six months since he'd accepted the fact that he was attracted to the female, and he knew that unless something drastic happened, she was going to become is One. He could see it already, the potential had always been there and now it wasn't difficult at all to picture himself loving this brilliant creature before him.

Hopefully, the Quest would distract him soon enough. Or at least, offer a little distraction.

To be honest, he'd stopped getting his hopes up about a month ago.

"It's a four leaf clover. They're believed to be lucky by non-magic people," Harry explained, legs crossed in the grass and grinning. "But this one I got from a friend who raised it on a diet of liquid luck. It will make you lucky, guarantied."

Twisting the small plant about in his hands -it had to be coated in something, it was rock solid- Fili gave a small shrug of his shoulders before slipping the chain over his neck. The weight of the clover felt unfamiliar, but he'd soon grow used to it, much like he had Harry's rings when he'd looked after them for a few months. It felt right now, to have something of Harry's resting upon his skin. The fact that it was pretty much her blessing to go forth on this quest was even better.

"So, when do you leave for this quest then?"

The two of them were sat outside of what Harry called 'The Burrow', the home of the traitorous friend and his family. Fili had no problem with the rest of them, Harry proclaimed the matriarch and her husband had pretty much accepted Harry as another daughter, that they went out of their way to look in on her and make sure all was well. That made Fili rather happy in all honesty, so he didn't comment on the one she'd taken back as a friend.

"Day break tomorrow; I spent all of today packing."

The winter snow around the mountain base was starting to thaw, and Uncle Thorin had taken a look before nodding to himself. Not that he'd be travelling very far with them; he was setting off to a meeting with the rest of their kin to see if any would be willing to join up. Fili was somewhat optimistic, but that didn't mean he wasn't preparing for the worst news.

"Well, I guess it's a good job I got that finished up for you today then. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask."

Fili nodded, leaning back on his hands and looking up at the sky. The two of them knew from experimentation that nothing bigger than a hunting knife could be passed between them; tests they'd decided to run now that Harry was no longer undesirable number one. Not even Harry magically shrinking the item in her world made a difference, it appeared in the dream world fully sized. Neither could food be passed between them, it always disappeared neither staying with the one who'd brought it nor leaving with the one that'd been holding it upon waking.

Regardless though, there may come a time when he was grateful for such an advantage, he'd just have to wait and see.

Beside him, Harry had a funny look upon her face, lips twisted down and brow crinkled. She was thinking, that much Fili knew, but she also appeared to be hesitating. Her lips parted when she found her courage, and Fili sat waiting patiently for her to speak.

"I suppose you'll want that good luck kiss now?"

He could have almost choked. The dream after which Harry had planted a kiss on his cheek, the girl seemed determined to power through and made no mention of the action.

At first, Fili thought he'd offended her, before realizing that if that was the case, then Harry could have stopped coming to the dreams as easily as he had once before. So he'd said nothing too, and for a while, it seemed almost forgotten.

But it burned at the back of Fili's mind, always there, always bouncing about in his head like a brilliant, annoying sun that just wouldn't set. He'd not wanted to bring it back up again, now with his quest fast approaching.

For the months between now and the Battle of Hogwarts they'd talked about many things, but never that small kiss.

Fili had spoken of dwarven history that was known outside of the race, along with some of the legends the other races had about his people. Harry had laughed herself silly over the idea they were born from rock.

She in return had shared some of the wizarding world's history, along with their legends.

Most notably, the Deathly Hallows. Which she had confirmed to be real. She'd been quiet as she spoke of them, of a weapon more powerful than any other, a stone with the power to recall a spirit of those passed and then a cloak to hide from sight.

Fili was intrigued by them all, but it was the stone that he liked the idea of most.

He knew that his mother would give anything for just a few minutes in which she could speak with Maeilin, his father. You know, after she got past all the witch-craft and stuff.

He'd never ask that of Harry though, to see if she could possibly pass the ring through to his world. She'd lost her parents before she'd even hit two years of age, of course out of all the people Fili knew, it was her who deserved the stone most. He didn't dare ask to borrow it either, because if it got lost like the food it would probably devastate her. Not that Harry would ever let it show.

And speaking of his mother, she had somehow found out that the two of them would be going on this quest, but instead of stopping them, she'd just made them promise to return and given each of them a small token to remind them of that promise.

A blessing.

Uncle had probably got one too, but for the life of him, Fili didn't know what it was yet. And now he had one from Harry, who wanted him safe.

"Are you willing to give one?"

Harry would probably kill him if she ever found out he'd made up the whole 'kiss for a safe journey' thing. But he'd take what he could get at this point in all honesty.

Grinning, Harry made to stand up, but only succeeded in tripping over her robes, falling flat on her face in the earth and startling a laugh out of Fili.

Blushing, Harry shot up, taking a good grip on his shoulder to make sure she was completely steady before her lips once again brushed against his cheek, just above where the stubble of his still growing beard was. At least he knew one thing wouldn't change even when he was on this quest. He'd always have Harry to talk to, so with any luck, he wouldn't get horribly homesick over it.

Yes, the dreams at least, wouldn't change.

 

* * *

 

 

"Ready to go lad?"

Looking up from where he was slotting his second throwing axe into his boot, Fili grinned at the sight of Óin and Glóin, the latter of whom still had Gimli trailing after him and begging to join up. But it was too late now, and Fili had to forcibly push down the smug that was welling up inside of him. It would not do to lord it over the younger dwarf, that was not how a Prince behaved.

"Look after Mother for me!" Kili on the other hand-

Rolling his eyes, Fili ran a hand through his hair, bright blue eyes scanning the land around the mountain. They were stood at the entrance to their little settlement, and it was easy to see the Ori Brothers making their way towards them. Ori was relatively close to both Kili and himself in age, so Fili was pleased to note that he would at least be able to talk to the somewhat shyer dwarf as a peer.

"Got your tokens boys?" One of Ori's brothers, -Fili had never been introduced, so he really had no idea which one was speaking- the one with the pointy hair was grinning at them, adjusting a band upon his arm. Clearly his own quest token.

Kili nodded happily beside them, finishing out the talisman that their mother had gifted him with a proud smile on his face.

"Mother made this! To remind me of my promise to come home."

Not a lot of people knew that the Lady Dis actually had a craft, something which was not expected of Princesses. But she did, and it was stone-cutting. It was a rather simple piece for their mother, but Kili was attached to it already. Mainly because he took it as a symbol that he was ready for a quest.

Not for what it really was; a guilt trip for Uncle Thorin, to remind him that Dis was well aware what was going on and that she'd peel his skin off inch by inch should he come home with some much as a scratch.

Glóin, who'd finally managed to send Gimli away, seemed to beam proudly as he finished out his own token.

"Well lad, I've got one from my beautiful wife instead of the one my mother gave me for my first quest; not that it was as big as this one mind." Hang on, Glóin had only gone with one?

"Wait, is it bad luck to have more than one?!" It was only after his panicked words had slipped out and everyone looked at him did Fili realize what he'd said.

"Wait, more than one?!" Kili looked as if Uncle Thorin had just cartwheeled off the side of a mountain. Feeling the heat begin to flush at the back of his neck, Fili looked around for help.

Ori was gaping, while his point-haired brother was smirking at his misfortune. Glóin however, just looked knowingly at him, smug smile on his lips. Oh this couldn't get worse. Tokens were only given by female family members, or someone you were courting/ had the intention to court. This couldn't possibly get worse.

"Uncle!"

He spoke too soon.

Cringing, Fili turned to look at his approaching uncle, who seemed somewhat confused as to why Kili was so happy to see him, and yet Fili appeared to want to disappear into the mountain.

"Fili has two tokens Uncle!"

Thorin blinked, as if the idea of two tokens, of Fili having two tokens, was incomprehensible. He couldn't help but feel a little insulted.

"Well come on then!" Kili pulled at his arm, grinning and puppy dog eyes bright, "what is it?"

He knew there was no getting out of this. Even so, Fili made a half-hearted attempt to wiggle free. That failed, so the blond dwarf gave a low sigh and reached for the silver chain that was hidden beneath the collars of his shirt and armour. He would never admit to the fact he wanted to show off Harry's gift/token, of how much effort had clearly gone into it. But it would have been the truth.

Drawing the chain up, Fili carefully took hold of the little token at the end of it, regardless of the fact that Harry had clearly cast some form of magic on the clover to stop it from being destroyed. He didn't know how he knew, he was just certain of it.

Opening his palm, Fili let his brother get a tad too close for comfort, inspecting the little plant as the rest of Thorin's Company -along with the dwarf himself- tried to shuffle closer without being obvious about it.

"It's tipped with silver," Kili whispered in an awed voice, carefully plucking up the clover and turning it around between his thumb and finger, fascinated.

Thorin made a grunt; of surprise or appreciation, Fili did not know.

"That's not possible, is it?" Glóin was staring at the four leaves that Kili had now dropped back into Fili's palm, a frown on his face.

"I don't know how she did it, she never explained."

"So there is a girl!" Kili looked both overjoyed, and then a little rumpled over the fact his brother appeared to be taking a girl seriously but he'd not yet been told. Hell, even Thorin had a small frown on his face as he took one last look at the clover before turning to welcome another member to their company. Balin, who was travelling around and had been for the past three years, would no doubt be meeting them up at their first stop. As would Dwalin, who Balin had not seen in person for near five years now. Not that Fili knew where that meeting spot was right now.

"Why didn't you tell me you found a girl?" Kili was frowning at him now, big puppy eyes welling up and looking suspiciously wet and guilt erupted within Fili's stomach. Curse his little brother and his adorableness.

"It's complicated. Look, I'll explain when we can get some alone time, okay?"

He felt guilty on two parts, one not telling his brother everything, and two, guilty regarding Harry and actually telling someone of her existence. Luckily enough, they wouldn't be left on their own for a while, which meant Fili had some time to figure out just what he was going to be telling and what he would not.

Perhaps he should talk to Harry about this...

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which dream's change, Harry looks at home and Gandalf seems impressed.

The dream world had changed. When he first saw Harry, he'd been pleased to see her, even after the token disaster at the start of the day. What he'd not recognised immediately was their current location. Or rather, that their current location was one he knew. Knew well. 

"I don't know this place," Harry whispered, her head tilted back to take in the looming presence of the Blue Mountains. 

Fili had absolutely no idea how they'd ended up here, but finally he'd get a chance to show Harry around his world instead of the other way around. 

"I do. It's home. The Blue Mountains." 

Vibrant green eyes snapped open to look at him, a strange look passing over Harry's delicate features for a moment before she smiled. It took him a moment, but Fili soon recognised what the problem was with her appearance. 

"Your funny eye glass is gone!" 

"You mean my glasses?" Fingertips brushed along her cheekbones and all Fili could do was stare. He'd had no idea how brilliant her eyes truly were, what with her 'glasses' reflecting the light back it had stolen attention away them. But the colour, now with nothing before obstructing the emeralds, was spellbinding. 

"I got them corrected. It cost a bit of gold, but it was worth it." 

"Why?" Not that he was complaining, but it might make the whole distracted by the quest thing difficult if every time he met up with Harry the next night if she was going to get even prettier. 

"I didn't mind them before, but now... I've got plans to go places where they'll only be a problem." 

Fili nodded, frowning but said nothing more on it. Harry had a life outside of these dreams, much like he did. He couldn't say anything really, if she wished to travel around a bit. She was entitled to it. She wasn't a dwarf woman who was to be protected at all costs, she was a warrior, the braid he himself had put in her hair said that. "Come on, I'll show you around?" Offering up his arm, Fili grinned when Harry's dainty little hand curled around his bicep, fingers taking a gentle holding of his coat.

 .

Pushing open the front-door after giving Harry a tour of the vast majority of the place, Fili stepped inside his house, feeling a bit nervous. 

Harry had no real attachment to her Aunt and Uncle's home, she'd never really looked comfortable in it the one time he'd managed to annoy her into showing him. At Hogwarts, she was a student, one of many, so as impressive as the castle was, it wasn't her home. It was the home of many. 

Only in these past few weeks had she been showing him around Grimmauld Place -the house her god-father had left her- newly decorated as it was. It seemed much more comfortable then what he'd last seen of it, but Harry's shoulders had still remained somewhat tense, an unease about her that never seemed to leave. Even if she was more relaxed at Hogwarts. 

He felt nervous showing her his home, because he wanted her to be comfortable with it. Perhaps that would be easier if he wasn't cringing at the mess that was the living room. When he'd last seen the place, it was in a state of disarray, as Kili had forgotten something or another and all but ripped the house apart in an attempt to find it before they left. 

In fact, if he remembered correctly, his room wasn't in that great of a state either. 

"And who's axe is this?" Harry was stood before his Mother's battle axe, her eyes alight with interest as she ran a hand down to the handle. 

"My Mother's." 

Harry drew her hand away for a second, before a startled laugh escaped her lips. 

"Sorry," she murmured, running a hand through her wild hair, toying her braid about with her pointer finger and thumb, "I was just picturing if my Mother had been armed with an axe. Dad would certainly have been a little more cautious when it came to his attempt with courting her." 

Snorting, Fili couldn't stop the smile slipping onto his face as Harry flopped down onto the comfortable couch, looking rather at ease with her current location after the shock of being somewhere new had worn off. Even if her strange clothes, she seemed to fit right in, devilish grin on her face as she looked around. 

"What are you thinking?" 

"Just wishing that you had cameras in your world, because seeing picture of a little you would be brilliant. Especially at that awkward stage where you were growing in your fabulous moustache." 

She took a strand of her long hair, pushing her lips outwards and balancing the lock beneath her nose. Even with her lips pursed, he could still see the smile in her eyes, and amusing teasing thing. 

It was only now, sat here with her in his own home, that it really struck him that this was what he wanted. Harry, in his world. She'd never fit in fully, but he couldn't picture that of her anyway. She wouldn't be this brilliant, otherworldly creature if she did. 

"What are you thinking Master Dwarf?" 

"How much better your moustache would look braided, Lady Harry." Yes, she'd probably never be here, but just watching her in this dream-world, sat teasing him with her gorgeous face- well, he'd take what he could get.

* * *

 

"Master Fili, is it?" 

Turning to look at Gandalf the Grey, Fili pushed down the disappointment that had surged when he first met the man. After Harry, after the world she'd shown him, the magic she'd done with a simple flick of her wand, he'd just been expecting more of a who-knows-how-old wizard. And yet, here he was. Grey robes, -rather like Harry's, only her's were clearly not as worn- grey hat and grey beard. 

If nothing else, he lived up to his name at that. 

Instead of a wand, he carried a staff with him, a frown on his face as he looked Fili over. 

Then, a hand was reaching for his collar, and all Fili could do was freeze, not sure how to respond when the wizard pulled Harry's token out into the open. 

Looking around, Fili noticed that no other member of the company that'd left from the Blue Mountains was paying attention, instead too focused on the ale and the food. What a good deal of help they were. 

Uncle would have noticed, no doubt about it. Only Uncle wasn't here. Had actually left three days into the journey to head off to the meeting with their kin. 

Fat lot of help that was for him now. 

"Where did you get this." 

It wasn't a question, Gandalf was expecting an answer. 

Swallowing, Fili attempted to take hold of his token, but at the wizards expecting look, unclasped the chain instead and allowed the taller male to take full hold of it. Though should the wizard lose it, or damage it in any way, Fili would not be held responsible for his actions. 

"Can I explain somewhere else? And get Kili?" It was about time his brother got told, seeing as they were at their final stop before they'd head off to fetch their burglar. Who none of them other than Gandalf had actually met. Well, Thorin said the wizard was to be trusted for now, so he'd go along with his Uncle's word until it was proven untrue. 

Upon Gandalf's nod, Fili watched the man leave for a side room before he too got to his feet, shooting over to Kili who was all but clutching at his mug, stuffing a sausage gracelessly into his face. 

"Kili, come on, we need to talk." 

"But Fili, we just got here!" 

"Do you want to know about Harry or not?" Now was the ideal time to speak of her without any of the other dwarves overhearing, they might not get another opportunity like this. 

"Who?" 

Scowling at his little brother, Fili ran a hand down the side of his face, trying not to growl under his breath. He hated what Kili had been calling the dark haired witch, but apparently, he didn't have much of a choice in this. 

"Token Girl, her name is Harry." 

"Oh." 

Kili was on his feet in seconds, stuffing the last of his meal into his face and waddling after his older brother, still clutching at his ale. 

 .

It took little over half an hour to go over the whole thing. Between Kili's protests of 'that can't be real' and Gandalf's contemplating face, he was feeling a bit nervous. 

What if they didn't believe him? What if they didn't think he was mentally stable and threw him from the quest?

Before he could start denying any accusations on his sanity, before Kili could even voice his accusations, Gandalf tapped his staff against the clover and the room lit up. Symbols, at least two dozen of them spread outwards from the little silver tipped clover, glowing symbols of light that floated in the air as if such a thing was completely natural. 

Kili looked awed, but Fili had seen such a thing before. Watching Harry blast a tree apart was a much more interesting display of magic. 

"Your friend is a very strong witch Master Fili. While I personally do not know the symbols before me, I do know what they mean to do. There are few languages that capture magic, but those that can give off a certain sensation. Such as your friend's symbols here. This one," Gandalf gestured to the one on the left, fingers hovering over it, "is for protection. It gives off a general feeling of protectiveness. While this one wishes you safe from injuries." He tapped at one to the right of the clover before the light show faded out of existence. 

The clover was gathered up and then handed back to Fili, who accepted it gentle with more reverence than before. 

He knew that Harry had said it would be lucky, but she'd not mentioned she'd gone to the effort of enchanting hr gift. Only two of the symbols had been explained to him, but he knew the rest were all aimed at keeping him safe, protected and victorious. He could just feel it. 

Gandalf had disappeared while he was distracted with his token, but Kili had remained, staring at the leaf curiously. 

"You're really courting a witch Fili?" 

"Not quite courting yet Kili... It's difficult." 

His younger brother nodded solemnly, but then a huge grin spread across his face. 

"I wanna be there when you tell Uncle Thorin! I'll bet he'll birth a litter of kittens or something. Make sure I'm there when it happens." 

Great, that was another thing he had to add to his list of 'I am never doing this. Ever'. But first, he needed to make sure Kili knew to keep this a secret. 

For some reason, everyone got a bit twitchy when magic was mentioned. Fili couldn't begin to imagine why. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Fili and Harry explore, a swing is built and Bilbo swear revenge.

 

"So this the home of your burglar?"

Stood with her hands clasped behind her back, Harry rocked back on her heels, a bemused smile on her face as she looked around the room. Fili supposed it was rather different than what she'd seen of his world so far. A day after they'd appeared in the Blue Mountains, the two of them had spent their time experimenting with the dream-world landscape, but had so far been unable to return to Harry's world.

Fili had shrugged, suggesting that his world was the focus now, because out of the two of them it was now his turn for a life altering quest. Harry had scoffed, but hadn't been able to offer up a better idea, eyebrows knitted together with a frown on her face.

As such, the two of them had dropped the matter, instead taking the time to explore each new location that Fili brought as his journey grew longer.

Just this morning in the waking world they'd arrived in the land of Hobbits, and by evening had finally found their burglar's home. It wasn't a hole, at least, not in the way Fili had been expecting it to be. In fact, the place was quite cosy, and with several pieces of furniture being too small for even dwarves, it had certainly been a experience.

Harry seemed to think so too, because she was inspecting several different things, a small, bemused smile on her face as she did so. Right now she was looking over a map of Middle Earth, obviously comparing it to her own home world. Fili had seen the charts of her world, of the vast differences they had. It didn't surprise him that Harry was interested in her new location, Fili had been the same since he'd first woken up in that forest.

"Yes. Mr Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit. Gandalf chose him, but if I'm honest, I don't think he looks to be warrior material."

Harry raised a brow, drawing her eyes away from whatever trinket of Mr Baggins that'd distracted her to look at him instead.

"I told you of Professor Flitwick no? Bravery can come from the most curious of places Fili, don't forget that."

"I know," Fili rolled his eyes, taking a step forwards and offering up a hand to Harry as he did so, "you're this well of courage after all, and just look at you."

"Look at me?" Harry repeated with an amused grin, taking a sweeping glance at her figure as she looked in the mirror. She was back in what she called 'muggle clothing', those strange tight pants -jeans apparently- and the tee-shirt of her old sports team. Quidditch, if he remembered correctly.

"Yep, such a vicious, victorious hero in a pretty little package."

Harry snorted, placing her hand in his, her thumb brushing gently over his knuckles.

"Show me around?"

 .

After a tour of Bilbo's house, both Fili and Harry had snuck out of the backdoor, Harry snatching up a great length of rope as she went. The worn brown boots on her feet left odd markings in the mud, he knew from seeing them that the soles were a smooth pattern, and yet, she left deer tracks as she ran instead of foot-prints. If he hadn't seen her go bounding down the garden, he'd probably have never noticed that it'd been a person passing through instead of a doe.

"They're charmed!" Harry called over her shoulder, her cheeks flushed slightly as she came to a halt by a small pond with a large oak tree hanging over it. In the flat lands of the Shire, the tall trunk and its branches almost seemed out a place.

What was perhaps even more out of place was the dark haired girl that was currently shimmying her way up the tree, having dropped the rope at the roots of the tree.

"Lady Harry? Are you unaware that it is not becoming of a female of your station to display such unseemly behaviour?"

Harry swung down, hanging from her legs with a grin on his face at his teasing tone. This close, her face inches from his own, he noticed the little dimples that appeared on the edge of her cheeks as she smiled.

"Alright almighty Prince Fili, prove to me that your people are superior. Show me how a dwarf makes a swing."

 .

Fili made a swing. It wasn't his best, for he had nothing to work with, other than the rope Harry had snatched from the house, and a plank of wood he'd found not too far from the tree.

Still though, it was a sturdy thing -as were all dwarf creations- and it would certainly support not only his weight, but Harry's as well. With ease.

They'd tested it, the both of them stood facing each other like so long ago, sweeping back and forth through the air with the night's sky hanging over them.

At some point, Harry had summoned up a series of fireflies, which were circulating round the tree, resulting in brilliant flashes of light dancing through Harry's eyes at the oddest of moments. She looked happy.

It wasn't the bright, cheerful grin of someone who'd just been told the greatest joke in the world, nor was it Kili's blinding smile when one of the dwarrowdams smiled at him in passing.

It was a pleasant expression, that showed one was completely content with their world the way it was now.

Fili didn't dare hope, but it was almost the same face that his mother wore, whenever his father came up in conversation. Only, without the bitter tinge. Did he dare to hope Harry had any feelings for him?

He didn't get much chance to get his hopes up, because Harry had snatched up the ropes of the swing and twisted them in such a way that, in his distraction, Fili lost his balance and went flying back. The pond water was cold, colder than any water had the right to be in summer, and he let out a splutter of outrage upon surfacing.

Laughter, Harry's laughter, echoed clear through the air and Fili wouldn't have been able to fight the softening of his expression if he tried.

"You know, some people carve their names into trees were I'm from," Harry mused, looking back at the thick oak with a curious expression on her face. A firefly danced precariously close to her head, the hero bead he'd bestowed upon her not long glittering in the light. "To say they'd been there once."

Fili nodded, forcing a serious expression on his face.

"Yes, but we're better than that... Let's carve it into Bilbo's table."

It's not like this was anything other than a dream anyway.

 

* * *

 

Quill flashing across the line, Bilbo Baggins of Bag-End signed his name before he could back out. There, it was done. Those damn dwarves and that crafty wizard would have their burglar. Lucky them.

Only, his table-top was not as smooth as it had once been.

Lifting up the parchment -contract, he reminded himself, it was a contract- Bilbo ran his fingertips over the new carvings in his table and scowled.

One was clearly dwarf runes, and he had absolutely no idea what they said. It was a secret language after-all. How it'd managed to stay secret when they apparently felt the need to leave a mark at whatever table they ate from, Bilbo would never know.

However, it was the second set of markings he didn't understand. Or rather, didn't recognise.

They just seemed like random squiggles, and were they not near the dwarf runes, he'd have taken them to be the usual markings of a naughty guest. Only they seemed too deliberate to be anything else.

 He would be giving those dwarves a piece of his mind alright!

Eyes widening, Bilbo rushed to the window, all thoughts of retribution leaking from his mind in exchange for panic.

The dwarves were leaving without him! He had to go!

As he was racing down the path from Bag-end, he absentmindedly noticed that a new swing had been set up over a small pond, several hobbit children scrambling around to try out the latest addition to their playtime. Bilbo wondered if it would be there when he got back.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kili proves surprisingly thoughtful, Fili becomes a delivery boy and Harry is once again amused.

"Fili?"

Looking up from where he was braiding a section of his pony's mane, Fili blinked, looking over at his little brother. Kili stared back, seated on one of the recently fallen tree trunks, one hand digging about in his pocket while the other steadied himself on the not so stable wood.

The small clearing that Thorin had declared their resting spot for the night was only just big enough that the two of them could talk and joke without being overheard by the rest of the company. Fili let his eyes rest on the company's burglar for just a moment, smirking when the hobbit almost tripped over his large feet. Quiet they were, but graceful? Not at all as far as Fili had seen.

Remembering the hobbit fainting on them in his own home, Fili grinned to himself, running a hand through his hair before turning to attention back to Kili.

Who was holding out a rather crumpled envelope.

Curious, Fili took the offering with his free hand, the other holding the end of his pony's braid.

"What's this?" Even though he was looking at the name on the paper, Fili still wasn't quite sure if he was actually coming to the right conclusions.

Kili let out a nervous laugh, wiggling his eyebrows at his brother and leaping to his feet.

"Well, you told the wizard that you can pass stuff to each other in your dreams, so I thought I best get to know my future sister in law."

Sure enough 'Hari' was scrawled across the front of the envelope, with what felt like thick parchment inside. For a moment, Fili just sat smirking over the fact his brother had spelt Harry's name wrong, but then a thought occurred.

"Wait a second, you never packed any parchment."

Blushing, Kili looked away, shoulders slumping inwards ever so slightly as he did so.

"I might have borrowed a bit from Mr Baggins- Please please please don't tell him Fee!"

Rolling his eyes at the nickname, Fili gave a slow nod, wondering if this was a wise idea. After all, Kili had a thing about mischief, what if this letter was full of embarrassing stories from his youth? Or worse, embarrassing stories from his youth that Kili had embellished on. He'd never live it down if Harry found out about the pig trough. Surely she had as many embarrassing stories as he did, hidden somewhere in her brain? Well, he could certainly hope so, maybe then he'd be able to ignore his own.

Hang on a second, what had Kili called Harry?

"What do you mean future sister in law?"

A bark of laughter left Kili's throat as he grinned at him, roughish features brightening with the gesture.

"It's obvious you've decided she'd your One. You sit on your pony, staring off into the distance, this soppy look on your face-" Kili broke off into a series of giggles, fluttering his eyes and Fili scowled, punching his brother in the arm with a little too much force.

"Don't Kili. She's not even on Middle-Earth, even if she's my One it's never gonna happen."

"Not true!" Bouncing to his feet, Kili's face was suddenly invading Fili's personal space, looking almost serious for once.

No, wait, he was serious. It'd been such a long time since Fili had seen such an expression he couldn't quite believe it.

"Listen Fee, you can't give up hope if she is your One. Things will work out, because that's what you deserve. If this girl if so great, can manage to make even you act like a sappy idiot, then I know she's good enough for you. You're a good judge of character Fee, and you said she'd magic, right? I bet she's working on a way to come here right now."

Fili snorted.

But still, he could feel the flame of hope roar to life in his stomach, swirling within his veins and leaving him suddenly so much more ready to face the rest of this adventure and whatever lay beyond it. For Kili, that'd been a surprisingly uplifting speech. Looking at his brother in a new light, Fili gave a low nod of his head, sitting himself on the tree-trunk with Kili joining him not a second later.

"Thanks Kili, I think I needed that."

Because Harry was amazing and magical and she very well might be working on coming to Middle Earth. He'd not dared to hope before, she had friends in her world, it was her home, why would she want to leave? But, but if she possibly felt the same as him -and she had kissed him, twice now! Even if it was on the cheek- then maybe she was trying to come to Middle Earth.

"It's a shame we won't have a pony to give her, but I guess she'll have to ride with me."

Shooting his brother and irritated look, Fili smacked him lightly on the arm, rolling his eyes as he did so.

"Yep, then I can give her all the dirt on you. Plus, if she rode with you it'd probably give Uncle an heart attack," Kili grinned at his declaration, leaving Fili snickering as he took another look over the ponies.

Only to pause.

Were, were they two missing?

Sharing a look with Kili, who seemed to have realized the same thing, Fili grimaced.

Looks like Uncle's heart attack was coming without Harry's aid.

 

* * *

 

 

"Trolls? Really? Not like I can really say much, considering that it was probably the first magical beast I faced in battle, but I thought you had a wizard to keep you safe?"

Scowling, Fili folded his arms across his chest, looking off to a side and trying not to blush. If he blushed, Harry would realize he wasn't telling the full story. And then she'd bug him for the whole one.

He did not want to admit to the fact he'd been stuffed into a sack. Not at all.

"Yes trolls. They were incredibly stupid, Bilbo even managed to trick them into a discussion on how to cook us until the sun rose."

Harry blinked, tilting her head to a side in confusion.

The long black strands of her hair fell over a shoulder in a flourish of movement, drawing Fili's attention for a second. Most of the time they met up, her hair was usually pulled back, either in a half pony-tail or a full one, so to see it unbound and framing her face was a radical change. The glint of silver in the black mass was practically a beckon that she still wore his hero braid, the thin chain of his necklace resting upon the pale skin of her neck before disappearing beneath the hemline of her shirt.

"Huh, I don't think trolls speak in my world, yours sound much more fun." Huffing, because being stuffed into sacks and then left to wiggle about -even if his own landing had been rather soft, seeing as he'd been the last to be thrown onto the dwarf pile- was in no way funny.

Speaking of things that weren't funny-

"My brother wrote you a letter." Fishing the letter out of his pocket, Fili handed it over, watching as Harry took it as if it were the most precious thing she'd been presented all day.

"You told your brother about me?"

There was something fragile to Harry's face now, something that Fili couldn't quite place. Her pale lips had parted slightly, forming a small 'o' of surprise. Why, Fili didn't know, but he seemed to have done something either very right, or very wrong if he were to judge by the emotions swirling in Harry's eyes.

She looked stunned.

"You mean you haven't told anyone about me?" He tried not to sound hurt.

It's just that Harry was such a part of his life now that he couldn't believe it'd taken him so long to tell Kili now that he looked back on it. He should probably tell Uncle actually, but Uncle Thorin was the most suspicious dwarf under the mountain. And perhaps over it too. He'd probably think she was in league with the elves or something.

"Oh! No, I've told my parents obviously, and Sirius. Mrs Weasley guessed and then I told Hermione... You don't mind, do you?"

That she'd told her parents about him? Most certainly not. It was a big thing to talk about a member of the opposite sex with your parents, Kili had stumbled over a little crush in his twenties and their mother had never let him live it down. That Harry had told her parents about him, even though they were only friends, well, he'd like to think that was a big deal.

"No, that's great, I mean, erm, yeah?" Cringing at his own stumbling words, Fili looked away from Harry and fought down the blush that threatened to take over his cheeks. He was over eighty years old! He should not be blushing like a child over this.

"My mum addresses you as my dwarf by the way."

Her dwarf? Harry's mother considered him to be Harry's dwarf? That... Well, that was very encouraging.

So of course the only response he could manage was 'oh'.

"Right, I'll bring my letter for your brother tomorrow?"

 "Tomorrow's fine Lady Harry."

"Have a troll free day tomorrow then, Master Fili."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kili considers his brother, his own love life and reads a letter.

Staring at the letter in his hands, Kili once again flipped it over, running his fingers along the sharp edges that as the corners of the envelope.

His name was wrote on the front in a sharp script, not the flowing letter that both he and Fili were taught. Nor were some of the vowels dotted, like the two of them had been taught to do. The 'p's and 'b's had been formed with a different gesture than to what he'd been told to do, and Kili knew for sure that Fili couldn't have wrote this as a joke. His brother just didn't have the time, not right now.

And this certainly wasn't elf stationary, Kili could tell that much, and like himself, Fili hadn't bothered to pack anything to write with either.

Something Kili was almost regretting now.

 .

It was their second day in Rivendell now, if one were to discount the first day in which they'd arrived after a very long night in the company of trolls.

This morning Fili had slipped him a letter when the rest of the company wasn't looking, his older brother chewing on his lip and looking nervous, but nevertheless he'd gone and gotten a reply for Kili from his token girl.

In all honesty, Kili was almost jealous.

Fili had found, chosen his One. There was a lot of arguments if One's were pre-chosen by Aulë, or dwarves could chose themselves and just slowly fell for their One. Now, with Fili having met a girl outside of their race who was even outside of their world, he was inclined to argue the latter at the moment. It just seemed like a more realistic opinion now.

Maybe he'd get as lucky as Fili had and fine his One soon too. Even though now Fili was often spending time staring out into nothing with a little smile on his face, he was so happy.

Kili could see it. It wasn't the fresh, 'we just pulled a prank on uncle Thorin' happy, nor a 'I managed that tricky manoeuvre with my duel swords' happy. It was more content, like everything was suddenly right in the world.

Kili wanted something like that for himself, he really did. He knew he was young, and he knew the rest of the company saw him as the baby of group, but he couldn't help the cheerful optimism that threatened to pour out of him at every hour of the day.

It certainly distracted Uncle from Fili's sudden lovesickness.

But, despite his best efforts to cover for his brother, other dwarves had still noticed. Yet, only two for what it was.

While Bofur and Nori had sent his older brother a confused look the other day, it was Glóin and Bombur that'd noticed exactly what Fili had come down with, if their smug smiles were anything to go with. That was, after the two had checked with him just to make sure it wasn't an elf maiden.

Kili snorted.

Like Fili would fall in love with an elf, he couldn't see it at all.

Dragging his eyes away from the elf maid that was setting up the table in the courtyard below, Kili focused on the letter again, even as his thoughts whirled about.

Both Glóin and Bombur were married, both had found their One and were almost always overjoyed when it came to talking about them. Kili couldn't blame them, not if their Ones made them as happy as what Fili was now.

Damn, he really wanted one of his own now. Maybe when Erebor was retaken?

Slipping his finger under the back of the envelope before he could change his mind, Kili broke the wax seal. He knew from previous inspection that the wax seal had some form of House crest in it, that Fili's One was from high standing in her world, but that was all he really knew fact wise, aside from her name.

Fili had described a lot about her personality, but he'd not really covered what Harry looked like now that he thought about it. Or how old she was, how tall, nothing like that. He just knew she was a fighter, that she was brave and incredibly loyal to those she loved.

Or, that's what Fili had said anyway.

Flipping open the folded parchment inside, Kili reclined against the stone wall of the Rivendell balcony, resting his head against the support he found behind him as he read.

 

* * *

 

 

_Dear Kili,_

_I was surprised to receive your letter. Surprised and just a bit delighted. Perhaps a lot actually. I don't know why I didn't think of it myself in all honesty. So I guess I shall follow your lead in regards to this letter._

_Greetings Kili, Son of Dis. My name is Hariel Lily Potter-Black, but you may call me Harry. I am a witch, though I'm sure Fili has already told you that. I'm going to apologize in advance, I've never wrote to a person that I've not met face to face before, so you'll have to tell me if I'm being a bit of an idiot with certain things._

_You ask about me? Well, I'm an orphan. That's usually the first thing that comes to most people's mind, even if it's in relation to something else. As for my appearance, I have black hair and green eyes. I'm quite surprised that Fili's not mentioned that, but then again I have no idea how the two of you react with one another. So, humm._

_Interesting things about me? I can talk to snakes and understand them when they speak back. It's considered a somewhat dark ability here, but Fili informs me that some people in your world can talk to animals in your world. That it's not considered weird. I also like cooking, though that seems like a very typical female thing to like. Fili's been teaching me about swords and how to use them, so I promise I'm not a completely useless..._

_I don't know about you, but I feel really awkward writing this letter. I know how much you mean to Fili, and I just want to make a good impression, but I'm not going to lie about myself either. This is more stressful than I thought it'd be to be honest._

_Anyway, more important things to talk about than me. Fili told me you gave him a pep talk. Thank you for that. He wouldn't tell me what it was about, just that it cheered him up. I know it's probably your job as a brother, but thank you regardless._

_Now, onto the most important topic; I'm looking for a way to come to Middle Earth. Please don't tell Fili, I want it to be a surprise. My friend Hermione's a genius, and I think I'm getting close, so hopefully I'll be able to meet you in person soon._

_Until then though, please keep yourself, Fili and the rest of the Company you travel with safe. I'm told you're a crackshot with a bow and arrow, so I hope you don't mind if I pin my hopes on you?_

_Thank you for writing to me, it means a lot,_

_Harry_

 

* * *

 

 

Staring down at the letter, Kili couldn't help the bemused smile that slipped onto his face. When he'd wrote his own letter to the girl, he'd been very nervous, not sure as to the response he'd get from the recipient. He'd wrote, and then rewrote it several times until he'd finally been happy with the tone of his own letter.

It was pleasing to see that Harry was as embarrassed as he was, and yet just as desperate to get to know him and make a good impression. This would hopefully be the start of a good friendship. He needed that kind of relationship with his future in-law so that when it came time to embarrass or prank Fili, he'd have a partner in crime. And hopefully, with a magic helper, he'd be able to cover his tracks better.

Deep inside him, Kili was glad that he'd been right telling Fili that his girl was probably working on a way to come to him. He wasn't sure if what he'd said was the right thing at the time, but it felt good to have hit the nail on the head. Ten points to Kili, obviously.

Grinning, Kili hopped to his feet, twisting on the spot and dashing out of the main room in which the rest of the company was sleeping in.

While he might be wary around elves, that wouldn't stop him asking for some paper to contact his future partner in crime with.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Fili is rudely awaken, Harry has a panic attack and then Fili gives up all denial.

"I'm sorry, what?" 

Harry had her head tilted to a side, bafflement etched across her features. Fili could imagine why. It's not every day that the person you meet in your dreams has to describe the thunder battle they were trapped in.

Little could compare to the sheer panic as he was separated from Kili, the deep bone dread that he'd faced when Kili and the rest of the company had disappeared from sight. He didn't care about being crushed, only that Kili and Thorin were no longer in reach and he couldn't protect them if he wasn't beside them. 

Thankfully, none of them had become dwarf pancakes on the side of the mountain and upon returning to the main group, Fili had done his best to not point out Uncle had slumped in relief at the sight of him, a thankful look glinting in his eyes at his nephew's survival. Fili loved his uncle, loved that the dwarf looked out for them so much behind his cold exterior. That he could have thought the worst had happened to him... 

Uncle looked like he was going to break down the second before his eyes landed on Fili. It was something he never wanted to see again. He wasn't ashamed to say he looked up to Thorin, that he was the kind of dwarf he wanted to be. To see he meant so much to his Uncle was always something that pleased him. 

And after that thunder-battle, well, he wouldn't need reassuring for some time again. 

"A thunder battle. Big stone giants rising out of the mountain and fighting one another." 

Harry blinked again, lips twisting up in a small smile as she shuffled closer to him. Their current location was the cave they'd taken refuge in, even though in this dream world it was empty of the company. They were both sat at the mouth of the cave, looking out into the heavy rainfall, with a glowing orb of light floating beside them, courtesy of Harry's magic. 

"We definitely don't have anything like that. I mean, we could probably charm a lot of stone, but not as big as what you just described." 

Fili hummed, leaning back on his hands and looking at Harry from the corner of his eyes. She was still smiling, looking down at her lap as if she was almost embarrassed by something. She was dressed in a loose fitting jumper, thick wool and dark leggings that clung to every curve of her legs. 

Fili had honestly given up complaining in his mind about her strange attire and just accepted the fact he'd have to start ignoring it as best he could. Not appreciate it, because otherwise he'd probably end up voicing his thoughts. And he didn't know how that'd go down. 

"Fili?" Harry had turned to face him now, front teeth digging into the plump flesh of her bottom lip, look of consideration on her face. "I-" 

Fili never got to hear whatever Harry was going to say, because a roar from Thorin and the sudden lack of floor threw him back into the waking world.

* * *

 

Before he'd even had a chance to gather himself and taken in the new surroundings, something slammed into him, knocking the wind from his lungs. Two small hands came to rest on either side of his cheeks, and Fili found himself looking into brilliant green eyes for just a second before they closed and then lips touched his own. 

Neither his own or the pair touching his were perfectly soft, both chapped and his own housing a new cut that he'd gained at some point in the race from goblin mountain to the fight with the orcs. 

He'd not bothered to see all his new wounds, instead letting Óin check him over to make sure he'd survive a full night's sleep, and then he'd been left to his own devices onto of the ridiculously tall rock. He'd fallen asleep the second he'd been given confirmation that Thorin would live and that everyone was alive. 

He knew he'd scared Harry by being startled awake like he had, and sure he'd expected -hoped even- that she'd panic a little. But this wasn't the reaction he had predicted. 

Nevertheless, it was better than any he'd thought up before. 

Harry's lips were a strong pressure against his own for a few more seconds, and then she drew back, emerald eyes taking in his entire face as her cold hands tilted it back and forth. Fili let her, already so thrown off balance he couldn't think of anything else to do. The fright that'd been in Harry's eyes slowly drained out as she took ran her thumb across his cheekbone, seemingly accepting the fact he'd been injured by was still alive. 

He could almost pick out the exact moment that what she'd just done caught up to her, for her cheeks bloomed a brilliant pink, eyes nervously dashing away from his face even though one hand remained, the other resting upon his shoulder. 

Not wanting to give the little imp a chance to escape, Fili gently drew Harry into a hug, not at all surprised when her arms coiled around his neck and held him tight. 

"I thought you were dead." The breathy confession was muffled somewhat by his coat, which Harry had buried her head into. But he still heard it regardless, tightening his hold on Harry. 

"I'm not." 

Harry had kissed him. Harry had been worried he was dead, and the first thing she'd done was kiss him. That, that wasn't the reaction of a normal friend, right? 

Oh who was he kidding anymore, Harry was his One. He'd just not wanted to accept it, not wanted to face the idea of not being able to hold her in the waking world, of not being able to introduce her to his mother and to Uncle and to Kili. 

But after those brushes with death he'd had over the past forty eight hours, he was more than happy to take what he could get. 

A cold nose brushed against his neck and Fili froze slightly, tilting his head to a side to get a better look at Harry. She was looking up at him, somewhat guilty and yet there was no remorse in her eyes. She didn't regret her actions at all, but then why was she looking upset? 

It took Fili a moment to realize he'd not responded at all to the kiss other than to pull her into a hug, which obviously wasn't a clear indication of his emotions. 

Well, best fix that. 

Taking a gentle hold of Harry's chin, Fili tilted her head back and pressed his lips to hers, nervous. He'd only kissed at the corner of her mouth, not daring to go for a full on kiss but Harry solved that for him, moving her own lips until it was the kind of kiss he'd wanted to give but had not dared to. Soft, chaste and hopefully, showing how much he cared. 

Damn, this girl had turned him into a bleeding heart. Kili was going to have a field day. 

And worse, he couldn't quite care at the moment. 

When their lips broke apart, Fili couldn't find it in himself to pull away, instead just resting his forehead against her's and smiling to himself. 

"Your charm worked a treat, didn't get hit by a single arrow." 

Harry's snort was suspiciously wet, one hand reaching up and brushing against his cheekbone again as his own reached to play with the hero's braid. He'd wanted to for a while now, and knowing that Harry shared his feelings was all the go ahead he needed. 

"Well it is suppose to increase luck." Harry's breaths were quick and warm against his sensitive lips, the smell of her invading his mind. 

"Why are we sat on a big rock?" 

He didn't want to pull away, he really didn't, but Harry did have a good question. 

With a low groan of disappointment that he hoped Harry didn't hear, Fili pulled back and took a look around, noticing they were in fact on the stupidly large rock he'd gone to sleep on, even if the rest of the company were not present in their dream world. 

"It's were the giant eagles dropped us off." 

"Okay, I think you're going to have to go from the start on this one. Giant eagles?" 

Fili grinned, dropping onto the surface of the rock and patting at the floor beside him for Harry to sit down. She did, much closer than she'd ever dared to before. Past the point of caring now, Fili wrapped an arm around her waist, resting his head upon hers when it came to lay upon his shoulder. 

"Let me tell you a tale of a trap floor, a goblin king and the burning pinecones." Harry smiled, he noted out of the corner of his eyes, and Fili easily began to describe the past day's events since he'd spoken to Harry. 

Though she was silent throughout, Fili didn't miss the way she clung tighter to his jacket with the arm half wrapped around his middle. 

Hopefully, that'd be the danger past them for now. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Fili finds a scar to get angry over, Harry get's taught a new dance and Fili wishes he paid Bilbo more attention.

"So he can turn into a bear?" 

Harry was stood on the bench before the table, looking ridiculously small inside the large house of their host. She was grinning, rocking back on her heels before she turned around and leapt at the table top, scrambling up before she was sat on the wood and grinning down at him. It only put her a foot or so taller than him, but still, a foot was a foot. Harry's face was a light with joy, lips pulled back in a grin and showing off the diamond white teeth that sparkled in the torch light. 

"My dad could turn into a stag you know, my godfather a dog." 

Fili frowned, climbing up the bench that was far too big to fit a man, never mind a dwarf, and then lunged up onto the table beside Harry. 

"Do you? You know, turn into an animal?" 

Harry shook her head, and Fili frown deepened.

"Why not?" 

"Never learnt how. It's cool, and probably quite helpful, but I've not really had time and it's a long process. Four or five years I think." That was understandable, Harry had been fighting for her life for a good long while after all, there was probably quite a lot she'd missed out on as a result. 

"No interest in becoming one?" 

Harry shrugged, laying her free hand across his. Fili turned his own arm so that his palm was facing upwards, lacing his fingers together with the dark haired girl's. 

"Not right now no. I've got a big project I've been working on, and it's nearly finished. I'll share the results with you when I'm done." 

Fili nodded, running his thumb over the back of Harry's hand. When he came into contact with uneven scaring, he paused, looking down at the appendage that he was holding. 

And then he almost wanted to be sick. Or to stab someone. 

Either of the two. 

Drawing the hand up to his face, Fili turned it so that the markings caught in the light, and he was sickened to realize what he'd seen at first glance wasn't wrong. There was writing that'd been scratched into the back of Harry's hand till it scarred. 'I must not tell lies'.

"Want to explain this?" Fili asked quietly, staring down at the scribble and unsure if he'd be able to do anything to keep the boiling anger in check once Harry's hand was out of his reach. 

Harry was silent, looking at her own hand with sad eyes even as Fili once again ran his thumb across her knuckles. 

"Our government doesn't like it when he threaten to make them unpopular, even if you're only trying to help them survive the oncoming storm. I'll be happy to see the back of it." Harry sighed, jumping down onto the bench and the turning back to Fili when he didn't let go of her hand. 

Harry's vibrant green eyes remained on him for a moment, a frown on her face before she gave a gentle tug of his own hand, fingers wrapping around as much of his wrist as she could. 

"Dance with me?" 

Those stupidly bright emerald eyes were looking at him again, pleading, and Fili just knew he was going to be giving in to this. Still, he couldn't crumble instantly, or she'd know she could get her way all the time. Like with Glóin and his wife. Then Harry's eyes started to tear. 

"Okay." Damn, where had that come from? 

Regardless, seeing Harry's face light up in a triumphant smile was a reward fair enough. Hell, if Glóin's wife looked half as radiant when she got her way then Fili could see why the dwarf would bend over backwards to please her.

"Dwarven dance?" Fili asked, watching as Harry straightened her shirt with her free hand, jumping off the bench with him to land on the floor. 

"You'll have to run the steps by me again, but yeah, let's go for it." Shifting his foot to the right slightly, Fili drew Harry's arm closer his torso, grinning. 

"Or I could teach you the paired dance instead of the casual ones I did the last time?" While he was more than brave enough to offer this up, to confirm the fact they were in fact a thing, couple, whatever you wanted to call it, he was still somewhat hesitant to say it. Because that made it real, and did Harry consider this real? 

From the way her smile grew, he'd like to bet on yes. 

This, while not perfect, was good enough for now. Just Harry and him, stood side by side as he walked her though the steps of a courtship dance, her full attention on him. She wasn't the most graceful on her feet, but with enough lessons Harry would no doubt be a half decent dancer. What she lacked in propriety, she made up for in enthusiasm. 

And really, when it came to dwarven dances, that was the most appreciated by the audience. Spirit instead of rigidness. 

He liked to think the other dwarves would like Harry, even with her lack of beard and fragile looking build. Kili certainly did, if the fact he'd gone so far as to ask the elves for more paper before they left was an indication. 

He was happy with Harry, she was his One and while some dwarves might contest that fact, most would accept it because nothing could come between a dwarf and his One. 

"I think I've got it." Harry was grinning at him and Fili smiled back, running his fingertips over the back of her hand once again. 

Maybe he should ask Gandalf about magic to travel worlds once this Erebor business was over. He'd very much like to show Harry around the mountain when they reclaimed it.

* * *

 

The next day started out well, even if he never got a chance to talk to Gandalf. Fili went through his usual morning routine, trained alongside Kili and proceeded to get his butt kicked by Dwalin as usual, and then Thorin informed them that they would be heading off. 

Of course, there was a pony ride involved, and then Gandalf left them at the edge of the forest, with orders not to walk off of the elf made road. It wasn't hard to picture the steam coming out of Uncle's ears in all honesty, the man would no doubt despise Gandalf that little bit more for the route he'd set them, regardless of if it were the safest route. 

Fili had barely paid any attention at all to Bilbo when the Hobbit had muttered about the forest being sick, but now he wished he had. Because for the first time in months, he'd just woken up from sleep. 

From a dreamless sleep. 

He was the first of their Company awake, the rest all laid out around him, Thorin bunked down against a tree that the elf road passed over. Uncomfortably big spider webs were stretched out across some of the branches and Fili felt a chill run down his spine. 

He remembered Harry speaking of the giant spiders that lived in her forest, how they'd tried eating her once. But surely such a thing didn't exist in Middle Earth, right? 

Grimacing, Fili sat up, running a hand through his messy hair. Harry's token was cold against his chest, hidden as it was beneath his multitude of layers. Reaching for the silver tipped leaf, Fili ran his fingers over the smooth edges, letting out a little sigh. 

It was just one night, Harry might have had to stay up for whatever reason, it wouldn't be the first time she'd missed a dream meeting. Only, every other time she'd warned him the night before, explaining she was running a ritual or something that needed the full moon, new moon or just no sun. Yet, maybe it'd come up in the day and she hadn't had time. 

Yes, that was probably it. 

He'd see her again tonight. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Fili's temper runs short, realizes that the elf ponce is slightly more important then he probably should be and he gets the best surprise yet.

Short-tempered could not even begin to describe how Fili was feeling right now.

Sat staring out of the iron bars of his cell, the blond haired dwarf could feel the suppressed anger of the past five weeks welling to the surface. Three weeks in the awful forest of Mirkwood, three weeks of dwindling food supplies, the forest playing on his mind, on the rest of the companies mind.

They'd lost the road on day eleven, or at least, Fili believed it to be day eleven. He wasn't completely sure, and right now, he didn't care to track the days.

Instead, he was focused on the fact that he hadn't seen Harry since that night they'd danced beside a giant table and bench, the night that Harry had tripped over her own two feet and landed face first in hay that had refused to come out of her hair. He'd found the whole thing hilarious, but his nerves were running short.

Because he hadn't seen her since.

The only thing that kept him going right now was the look on the elf prince's face when he tried to remove Fili's token.

 .

_Staring down the shaft of the arrow drawn back and aimed at his face, Fili narrowed his eyes, sluggishly holding his arm up so that the elf behind him could remove the blade they'd found strapped to his forearm. They still have twelve more to find. He doubted they'd get them all._

_"What is this?"_

_Fili snarled as the elf behind him took a hold of Harry's token, pulling the gentle chain upwards until the clover on the end was exposed. The irritatingly tall elf before him had retracted his bow, stashing his arrow and reaching out for the clover. Fili would have socked the ponce right then and there had one of the other elves not snatched up his hand to do so._

_So it was with vindictive pleasure that Fili watched the little clover shock the elf's hand, forcing him to snatch it back. He could even ignore the slight scent of burnt flesh that came with such an action._

_Fili couldn't quite help the smirk that crawled across his lips, even more so when the elf behind him tried to take the necklace from him and the thin chain slipped through his fingers like smoke._

_"It is enchanted," the elf behind him all but hissed, and Fili couldn't stop his smirk widening if he tried._

_"My betrothed," he lied flawlessly, giving a casual shrug of his shoulders as he did so, "she's very good with magic. I'd suggest you let us go or she will come after you."_

_It was a bluff, Harry was a world away. But if- no, when the dreams came back and he told her what was happening, he wouldn't be surprised if she razed the entire forest to the ground to come and retrieve him. Fili knew for certain that Harry did not take well to those who mistreat her friends, and he was..._

_Well, they were courting, so he liked to think he was something important to her. Enough to warrant a rescue. If she could ever cross over the whole world's away problem that was._

_The blond elf said something in his native language and Fili grimaced at how flowery it sounded._

_The thick, bouldery tones of Khuzdul were by far superior. After that, Fili would begrudgingly admit that Harry's Parseltonuge was his second favourite language. Even though he had no idea what she said the few times he'd heard it, there was just a look in her eyes as she spoke, the way her lips twisted to form the sharp, insidious sounds._

_Of course, the language of men came after that. In fact, the only thing he disliked more than the elves and their speech, was Black Speech itself._

_"Take them to the prisons," the blond ponce was talking now, having gone over to insult Glóin's wife and son, something that had Fili clenching his hands into fists. If the elves had even dared to speak ill of Harry Fili would have given them a taste of dwarfish iron._

_Luckily, whether for him or them was debatable, he held nothing to connect him to her, aside from the clover around his neck._

_"Lock them up." He was back in front of Fili now, eyes narrowed before he spoke quietly enough for only Fili to hear. "I doubt a dwarf such as yourself could ever succeed in wooing a woman strong enough to rescue him. We all know dwarves hide their women away-" Fili tried not to snort, "-so I doubt I'll be seeing a rescue party anytime soon."_

_This idiot had no idea what he was talking about. He'd clearly never met a female dwarf, and Fili was sure his mother would be more than happy to introduce him to her axe._

_What amused him more was the fact the ponce had guessed wrong, Harry was no dwarf after all._

_Even as they were marched forwards as prisoners, Fili kept his head held high, regardless of the seventh blade another elf lifted from his form. He could see Kili from the corner of his eye copying him, but his brother's eyes filtered over to look at the red-haired she-elf that'd saved him from the spiders._

_And oh boy, hadn't they been a surprise? He was pretty sure he owed Harry an apology at some point._

_Fili just prayed Thorin would only be able to figure all of this out. To get them out of this mess._

_._

That'd been two weeks ago. And yet, here he was, still sat in a cell, frowning at the iron bars.

Still no dreams from Harry, still nothing at all from her, other than the clover on his neck. Unlike how he'd suspected, he'd had all his knives lifted off his person, much to his disappointment. They'd taken the last one, hidden in his hair, from him just as he was entering the cell. Any other time he'd have shrugged, probably have been somewhat amused over the fact he'd been so thoroughly defeated.

Any other time that he wasn't in the biggest of moods.

Probably in his worst temper since his toddler years.

He didn't doubt for a second that Uncle was very angry with him for being in such a mood, for letting their captures see him 'so weak'. But right now, he honestly couldn't' care less.

He wanted to get out of this forest, he wanted to complete this quest. But most of all, he wanted to see Harry again. It angered him more than anything that he was unable to see her, that he'd gotten so used to her company.

Scowling, Fili folded his arms over his chest, drawing his legs up to bury his face between his knees with his back resting against the cell wall.

He could hear Kili carefully asking if he was okay, and unable to find the will to ignore his younger brother like he had everyone else, Fili gave a small grunt, which could probably have been softer if he'd put any effort in.

Really, he just wanted to sleep through this whole imprisonment thing until they were on the next leg of the journey.

 .

He was startled awake by the sound of metal tumblers.

Shooting up into a sitting position, Fili had just enough time to take in the two elves stood at the entrance to his cell before the door was pulled open. Fili backed up, eyes narrowed and trying to assess what was happening here. Two armed guards, unlocking his cell but not venturing in it...

"What do you want?" Fili growled under his breath, shifting his feet so that he'd be able to dodge or throw a punch depending on what movement was needed.

"The King wishes to see you."

The elf king? Why would he want to see Fili? Had he figured out he was next in line after Thorin? No, none of the outer kingdoms knew the names of Thorin's heirs, Uncle had made sure of that. Only the Orcs had found out they were of Durin's blood recently, and they wouldn't share that information with the elves. 

So what else was it? He knew one of the elves that was gifted with magic had been brought down when he was first sleeping to see if she could remove the necklace. He'd been woken by her laughing, as she shook her head and said it was far beyond her skills to take such a gift from him.

The elves knew it was for protection, luck and success now, but that was all their female had been able to puzzle out.

"Why?"

"He would not say."

Fili's frown deepened and he retreated until his back was pressed against the stone wall. He felt vulnerable, lacking both knives and his usual layers of clothing.

"And if I say no?"

"We resort to force, dwarf," the other elf, the one who'd not spoken yet, snarled and Fili already knew how this was going down.

Regardless of the fact he would questionably be seeing the King shortly, it didn't stop the satisfaction in Fili's stomach when he knew the ruder elf would not. After all, it wouldn't be proper to be in audience with the King when blood was pouring down one's chin courtesy of a broken nose.

He could still hear the rest of the Company's cheers as he landed the hit.

 .

Pulled not quite kicking and not quite screaming but certainly swearing beneath his breath, Fili was finally halted before an older version of the ponce.

Brilliant, obviously it'd been the prince that'd collared them earlier, he wasn't sure what to make of that news.

He was a prince -future or not- of Erebor, so he had to show some decorum, but he was also a prisoner, so he had a right to act offended by anything and everything. From the king to the tree branches styled into moose antlers that lay behind his throne.

He knew how he looked, stood before this clean and perfect elf. He hadn't seen a bath since their venture into Mirkwood, so no doubt he wasn't the most pleasant smelling being in existence.

Still, sweat was better than whatever flowery scent the elves carried. With any luck, they wouldn't be able to get it out of their dungeons when the dwarves made an escape. Any part of the elf kingdom smelling of dwarf left him feeling bitterly smug.

He'd probably be a bit happier if it weren't for the whole captured thing.

"You are Fili, Son of Dis, correct?" The king, Thranduil drawled, one hand propping up his face while the other lazily played with the glass of wine in his hand. 

Fili narrowed his eyes, drawing himself up to his full height, regardless of the fact he was the shortest of the three male Durins currently alive. He pushed down the worry over the fact the elf king now knew who he was, knew that he was related to Thorin, just unsure if he was the direct heir of the second one.

"If I am?"

"You also hold the enchanted necklace? May I see it?" It wasn't really a question, no matter how much it sounded like one.

Scowling, Fili reached into his top, pulling the token in question free and watching as the elf king tilted his head to a side, looking intrigued for a few moments.

Then, his eyes were drawn to a side. It was for but a moment, but Fili noticed, even though he didn't dare to take his eyes from the elf king and from the smug looking son by his side. The ponce had apparently appeared now that he'd heard Fili had been summoned.

Dear Aulë, Fili felt like he'd made an enemy two weeks ago, and now he was certain. He held no love for the elf prince. He wasn't going to turn his back on either of them, either betrayer, for a second. Nothing would change his mind.

"Fili?"

Except that voice. 


End file.
